Preliminary results of first-year assessment in Week One

October 1, 2009

Dear colleagues,

Thanks to the coordinated and concerted efforts of faculty and staff across the entire campus, we had outstanding participation in the assessment activities planned for first-year students during Week One.  Approximately 90% of all first-year students completed the assessment activity they were asked to complete.  More than 475 completed one of six versions of the Essential Learning Outcomes Assessment (ELOA) questionnaire, and nearly 220 completed the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). 

Information about both of these assessment projects is provided below.  Here is a sampling of what we have learned so far about the Class of 2013 from the ELOA questionnaire:

• “Effective writing” was identified more often than any other skill as something students worked “frequently” to develop in high school, AND was identified most often as a top priority for further development in college.
• In contrast, although “effective speaking” and “global civic knowledge and engagement” were also considered high priorities for development in college, they were much less likely to be identified as skills worked on “frequently” in high school.
• Nearly 75% of students said that their ability to understand readings or complete assignments more easily, or their tendency to think or talk about a subject outside of class requirements, was the most meaningful indicator that they were learning.  Only 15% identified written or verbal feedback from their teachers as the most meaningful evidence.

The Essential Learning Outcomes Assessment questionnaire elicits information about students’ prior learning experiences, current understandings, and future aspirations in relation to the key outcomes of a college education as identified by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, supplemented by outcomes distinctive to St. Olaf, such as “global perspective” and “understanding of vocation.” The questionnaire was developed by a team of St. Olaf faculty and staff, and includes both fixed-response and narrative response items. The St. Olaf Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation has prepared a preliminary summary of the quantitative results from the fixed-response items, and is working with the Assessment Subcommittee to prioritize and prepare summaries of the qualitative results from the short-answer and essay items.  The questionnaire instrument and complete preliminary results are available at this link:  http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/ir-e/assessment/instruments/ELOA/index.htm. 

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) engages students in direct demonstration of their abilities in critical thinking, effective writing, data interpretation, and problem-solving.  Students are asked to make an evidence-based recommendation in response to a hypothetical problem scenario, or to make or critique an argument in response to writing prompts (http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/ir-e/assessment/instruments/CLA/index.htm).  St. Olaf began administering the CLA in 2005, and our results to date provide direct evidence of steady improvement in our students’ writing and thinking skills over the course of their St. Olaf experience.  The extent of improvement is commensurate with their abilities as incoming students and with St. Olaf’s standing as a high-quality liberal arts institution.  Results for the Week One 2009 administration to first-years will be forthcoming from the Council for Aid to Education later in the academic year, and we will share a summary with faculty and staff as soon as possible.

The success of our first Week One comprehensive assessment program is directly attributable to the coordinated and concerted efforts of faculty advisors to first-year students, the Week One planning team, the Associate Dean of First-Year Students, the Director of Writing, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation, the Assessment Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, staff and students in Residence Life, and the St. Olaf Student Government Association.  Many, many thanks to all of you! 

We will continue to share results as they become available.  Meanwhile, planning is underway to mount a similar effort with our seniors this spring; we hope to engage all seniors in completing either a component of the CLA or one of several versions of the Essential Learning Outcomes Assessment questionnaire so that we have longitudinal comparisons for both instruments.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for further analysis or discussion, please contact the Assessment Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee (assessment-subcomm@stolaf.edu) and/or the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation (ir-e-office@stolaf.edu).

On behalf of the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation and the Assessment Subcommittee,

Jo Beld

Professor of Political Science
Director of Evaluation and Assessment